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From: Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Thoughts on industrial design
Date: 30 Apr 2025 21:08:03 GMT
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Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> On 4/30/2025 3:10 AM, Wolfgang Strobl wrote:
>> Am Tue, 29 Apr 2025 16:27:05 -0400 schrieb Frank Krygowski
>> <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:
>>> I've
>>> gotten slower as I've aged, and I think I may be the oldest among those
>>> I normally ride with; but I'm among the faster members of the usual
>>> group. Maybe the key is choosing the proper group to ride with!
>> 
>> I don't do group riding, never did. Most people in Germany don't.  The
>> bicycle is mostly a means of transport, for us.  
> 
> I just finished another club ride, with a snack afterward. Definitely a 
> social situation, with lots of conversation. A beautiful day, nice roads 
> in rural territory, very pleasant. I think there were 13 people on the ride.
> 
> These rides make up the bulk of annual riding for almost all members of 
> our club. The group on this ride were almost all retirees, and it seems 
> to be their main form of recreation. I'm unusual in that I have other 
> outdoor activities I also do regularly.
> 
> I'm even more unusual in that I do use my bikes for utility purposes - 
> transportation to the grocery or other stores, the library, friends' 
> houses, etc. and in the past, transportation to work. This is so unusual 
> here that it draws comments from other cyclists and has triggered my 
> being interviewed by news outlets!
> 
> America is different from Germany.
> 
North America is to be very car centric, other places while they absolutely
have cars, they never went to the same extent, hence while my work
colleagues might of noted the distance I commute, I’d also really not get
into any news outlets as it’s just a non story.

I tend to predominately use my bike for leisure bar the commute, but then
London is quite walkable.

for example I dropped a bike off at the bike stop yesterday for some
fettling, sat in the cafe to have lunch next to the hairdressers and dry
cleaners. With the pharmacy and bakers opposite, today after some garden
work I again walked to the small supermarket and on way back sat in the
cafe for a short while watching the world go by.

There is a bigger shopping “town” centre a quick bus/train trip away if I
need something there or just want to have a wander.

I will need to take the car to go to see a film at the cinema or rather
it’s more convenient to do so, as occasionally is the way with living on
the edge of london.

Roger Merriman